Fluid-actuated vibrator.



No. 835,290. PATBNTED NOV. 6, 1906. C. H. RICHWOD. FLUID ACTUATEDVIBRATOR.

APPLIOATIOI FILED DEU. 7. 1905.

@raffor- UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

No. 835,290.V

Specification of Letters Patent.

` Patented Nov. 6, 1906.

Application filed December 7, 1905. Serial No. 290.782.

.'l'o au whom it may con/cern..-

Be it known that I, CLARENCE H. RICH- WOOD a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fluid-Actuated Vibrators, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to mechanically-operated massaging-vibrators ofthe class in which a suitable plate or pad, commonly called anapplicator, is employed to transmit vibratory pulsations to the skin orotherwise to the person in exceeding rapid succession; and the resentinvention pertains more particular y. to the construction and operationof the automatic and manuallyapplied devices for producing in rapidsuccession such blows or vibrations.

One object of the invention is .to provide in a hand instrument of theclass indicated an improved automatic pneumatically-operatedcomparatively heavy iston, the ra id reciprocations of which Wit in itscylindical casing imparts thereto, by reason of the considerable weightof said piston, correspondinglyrapid longitudinal vibrations of thecasing and the applicator attached thereto.

Another object is the provision in an airoperated vibrator of the classindicated of improved means for regulating the vibrations in connectionwith the airexhaust opening, and a still'further object attained inconjunction with those above described is the cushioning of the holdingknob or handle, whereby a minimum reactionary eect of the vibrator whilerunning at high speed is perceptible at the hand of the operator.

`To these ends the invention consists in the combination or arrangementof parts and the constructions of certain of the parts, allsubstantially as hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims. A

Reference'is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1is a sectional view taken longitudinally through the vibrator'. Fig. 2is a side elevation, a considerable portion of the vibrator being brokenout in section and showing the piston at the opposite end of its strokefrom that shown in Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33, ig. 1

and Fig. ,4 is a section taken horizontally on the line 4 4, Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all ofthe views.

In the drawings, A represents the cylin drical casing of the vibrator,having the centrally-located piston-bore A extending longitudinally fromend to end therethrough.

ing in a direction longitudinally of the casing A the handle-stud C,having the air-supply passage C', formed therein, and a corrugated endportion for the hose attachment with the air-compressor or other sourceof air-supply, the manner of attachment of this handlestud C. to head Bbeing lby the screw-threaded joint C2, Fig. 1.

The left-hand end portion of casing A is of reduced diameter and isscrew-threaded at b and receives thereon the applicator-supporting headD, a conical-shaped stud c, which projects longitudinally therefrom,being provided with the tapering hole d therein for the engagement of atapered stud portion of.a suitable pad or applicator E, (shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1,) or the vibrator may be in any suitable manner adaptedfor the reception of interchangeable applicators.

A piston F of a diameter to closely t the casing-bore A and of a length,for instance, about.twothirds that of the casing A has formed at eachend portion thereof the angular-shaped conduits H and G. These conduitsextend from accurately positioned openings in the piston sides todischargeopenings in the piston ends, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andconduct the supplied fluid-pressure to end portions of the casing-bore AThe side walls of the casing A, which are of substantial thickness, haveextending longitudinally thereinto from the right-hand end thereof theair-inlet duct I and the oppositely-located air-outlet duct J.

A progeny-positioned connecting duct or passage provided in the head Band leading from the longitudinally-extending supply-passage C, has anopening G:2 connecting eeaeeo it with the'inlet-duct I of the casing A,`An j S abuts. A second spring T, somewhat outletassage li, formed inhead B inline with t 1c above-described inlet-passage G', has adischarge-opening which is continued beyond the periphery of the head Bin the threaded projection Bi. The opposite end portion of this passageli by means of the opening li communicates with the outlet-duct J in thecasing.

At properly-spaced points in the casingbore A are inlet and outletgrooves M and M and N and' N', respectively, the inlet-connectinggrooves M and M communicating with the inlet-duct I by the ports oropenings lm and m', and the grooves N and N are conneoted with the ductfor outlet by the openings n and 'n'. v

A screw-threaded cap O is provided on the threaded portion of theprojection B2 of head Bi and has the exhaust-opening o formed in theside wall thereof at a point adjacent the outlet end portion of said.projection B2, whereby a slight screw adjustment ofthe cap 0 on thethreaded projection B2 resultszin the diminishing or enlarging of theexhaustopening o more or less, according to the degree of covering ofsaid opening o by the end. of the projectionB caused thereby. A helical:spring p inside of cap 0, which exerts a constant pressure on theengagingscrewthreads of the cap and the projectionB2 constitutes anefficient thread-locking device for. the prevention of any disturbanceof the exhaust adjustment, as described, by the action of vibration.

A- knob-or handle Q', loosely located on the handle-stud' C between thehead B and the portion. for hose connection thereon, comrises-in itsconstruction means for protect-fmg the handof the operator from thetremulous jar of' the vibrator While in use. thisV end:I the knob-handleQ is made up ofA two round-edged. circular handieces. g g, whichlreferably may be made ofp ber. hess two handpieces, which have aIcentrally-formed' circular opening g therethrough are attached togetherand to-an inte ose guiding-disk Rl by screws r. The dis R has acentrally-formed circular opening -r of. somewhat smaller diameterthanthe handpiece openings g and. large enough topernnt ofits beingeasily slid' onto the handie-stud C, as shown in Fig. 1, and theportionof this disk surrounding its central opening forms an internalannular flange within. and intermediate of the length of the openingthroughv thehandle.

In assembling the various parts constituting' this non-vibratory handleQ the handlestud C, being removed from the headi B, hasfirst lacedithereon the short helical spring S, w 'ch abuts. against the shoulderC3,

formedzonhandle-studC. Theknob-handle Qf is thenplacedfon thehandle-stud, beingguided; thereon by the disk R, against which springhard rublonger than spring S, is next placed in position on thehandle-stud, one end thereof being placed in contact with the oppositeside of the flange forming portion of the guidingdisk R from the springS. The spring S and a portion of the spring T are inclosed by thecircular knob-handle openings g, as shown in said Fig. 1 of thedrawings. The springs S and T and the interposed knob-handle Q havingbeen positioned, as described, on the handle-stud C, the handle #stud isforced against the combined pressure of these springs into its screwthreadedjoint connection (shown at C2) with the head B. The slightcompression-of these springs Sand T, located on either side of theguide-plate'R of the knobhandle, serves to maintain saidhandle in itsnormal position and forms a yielding or cushioned support for thevibrator.

The operation of the vibrator is as follows: Assuming that the air orother motive fluidy from the air-compressor or other source of supply isabout to be admitted to the vibrator with the piston in the positionWithin the casing-bore A', as shown inFig. 1, the course of saidA motiveiuid'is through a flexible connecting pipe or hose (not shown) toandlinto the handle-stud passage Ci and the-connecting-passages G and G2 inthe head B and thence into theinlet-duct I. vFromthis duct I the motivefluid passes through the open- M from which it is taken through theanguing or port m into.fthe annular' `et-groove lar-shaped. piston-ductsH to the left-hand end, portion of the casing-bore A," and there beingat this time no. outlet therefrom the piston F is forced toward therightv and into the second terminal position, as illustrated in Fig. 2of the drawings. At this time the motive fluid on the left-hand end ofthe piston F escapes through the now uncovered port-opening 'n' into theoutlet-duct J and the connecting-passage K K, and o tolthe outer air.Simultaneously with this abovedescribed piston movement a certainpercentage of the unexhausted fluidi that was not expelled from theright-hand end ofv casing-bore A becomes pocketed therein now by theclosing of the outlet opening or ort a (see Fig. 2) and forms anair-cushion w `ch serves to check any further. travel of the pistontoward the right. The next course the fluid from the inlet-duct I takes,as a, further reference to Fig. 2' indicates, is

lthrough the opening or port m and thel annular casing-groove M andthence through the angular-shaped piston-ducts G to the fright-handend'portion of the casing-bore A', 1 which. causes the piston, F tothen. move to the left and. into the first-described position,

as shown in the drawingsin Fig. 1.

Repe `'tions ofl the above-described cycles of the vibratoniston.are-made tooccur antomatically in t e manner specified so long IOO asthe motive fluid is supplied to the vibrator, and the impacts or jars onthe cushioned air caused by the checking of the iston in the successivestrokes thereof pro uce the vibrations of the device as desired.

I clai'm- 1. In a vibrator, the combination of a casing, the wall ofwhich is provided with an inlet-duct communicating with the bore of thecasing by way of two annular groove-ports, an exhaust-duct in thecasing-wall communicating with the bore of said casing by way of twoannular groove-ports, a piston arranged for reciprocation in said casingand rovided Withpairs of passages formed in the body thereof, leadingfrom the circumference and discharging from the ends of said piston, andadapted alternately to have communication with the annular groove-portsof the inlet-duct, and discharge motive fluid into the ends of thecasing, a screw-cap having an exhaust-discharge passage, and means forvarying the area of the discharge-passage, substantially as described.

2. In a vibrator of the class described, the combination with a cylinderhaving closureheads, annular inlet and exhaust grooveports formed in thewall of the cylinder-bore, and positioned in pairs longitudinallyextending inlet and exhaust ducts formed in the cylinder-Walland havingpassages connecting with the annular inlet and exhaust groove portsrespectively; inlet and exhaust passages formed in one of thecylinder-heads, having opening-passages therefrom connecting with theinlet `and exhaust cylinder-ducts; of' a reciprocatory piston endwiseslidable in the cylinder-bore and having conduits formed in each endportion thereof, extending from positioned receiving-openings on thesides of the piston, to discharge-openings on the piston ends, wherebymotive fluid from the said cylinder-inlet passages and annularinletgroove ports is conveyed through the pistonconduits at one end ofthe piston into one end portion of the cylinder-bore, causing the pistonto move toward the other end of said bore, and the exhaust fluid fromthis latter end portion of the cylinder-bore to be simultaneouslydischarged through the oppositelylocated piston-conduits into theexhaust annular groove ports and passages of the cyl-l inder, wherebyreciprocating movements of the said piston are made to'repeatedly occuras long as fluid-pressure is supplied thereto, thereby causing endwisejar to the piston-inclosing cylinder.

3. In a vibrator, the combination of a casing, a piston arranged in saidcasing, and means for admitting motive uid to reciprocate said piston, ahandle-stud detachably screw-connected with saidcasing and provided withan abutment-shoulder, a handleknob having an opening therethroughwhereby it may be fitted freely over said shoulder of the stud, providedwith an annular member between its inner and outer sides forming aninternal flange intermediately within the wall of said opening, a spiralspring interposed between said flange and said shoulder at one side ofsuch flange, and another spiral spring between the casing and saidinternal flange at the other side of the latter.

' 4. In a vibrator, the combination of a casing, a piston arranged toreciprocate in said casing, a duct to admit motive fluid to said casingto reciprocate the piston, an exhaustduct, a screw-cap adjustablyfitting about the exhaust-discharge, and .a spring combined with saidscrew-cap to prevent disturbance of the adjustment thereof with relationto the exhaust-discharge.

, 5. In a`vibrator, the combination of a casing, a piston arranged toreciprocate in said casing, motor inlet and exhaust ducts, a projectionfrom the casing having a passage communicating with the exhaust-duct andan exhaust-discharge opening, a screw-cap adjustably fitting about 'saidprojection to vary the discharge-opening thereof, and a spring combinedwith said screw-cap to prevent disturbance of the adjustment thereof.

Signed by me at Springfield, Massachusetts, in presence of twosubscribing vwitnesses.

CLARENCE H. RICI-IWOAOD.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BELLows, G. R. DRrsooLL.

